Private Guitar tutoring lessons Sterling, VA.

The most important thing to me is to keep the student interested and engaged in the lessons. This way learning guitar is easy and fun, not a struggle. A great place to start is by learning songs you enjoy listening to. Then later moving on, applying theory and scales to the songs we have learned.

The Essentials:

RockSmith Sound Check
Tuning
Changing strings
Strapping up
How to hold a pick
Plucking strings
Accents
Chords
Power chords
Double stops
Barre chords
Arpeggios
Music Notation
RockSmith Major Scales (Rocksmith Strings)

Techniques:

Shifting
Fretting
Sustains
Palm mutes
Slides
Bends
Tremelos
Hammer-ons
Pull-offs
Natural harmonics
Strumming patterns
Unpitched slides
Fret hand mutes
Improvising and jamming
Vibrato
Scales and modes

While teaching bass is my specialty, I've been teaching guitar for 4 years and have amassed quite the collection. The overwhelming majority of my students at the shops I teach at take lessons on guitar, so most of my time is actually spent teaching guitar. In lessons, we'll cover basic chords, scales, and rhythms, as well as some introductory music theory so the student knows why they're playing what they play.

I am a student of the blues, roots and country and I have been teaching music to kids and adults for over five years. I have played in Asheville, North Carolina-based bands for over 10 years. My specialty and passion is fingerstyle Piedmont Blues (but I teach other styles as well). I try to gear each lesson to my students' strengths and make learning music fun!

My goal is not so much teaching one how to play an instrument, but more broadly, to help one cultivate their own living musicality. My own areas of practice, study, and specialization are in free improvisation, sound art/Sonic sculpture, conceptual performance, and songwriting/composition. I've explored a vast number of different styles and genre. Jazz, classical, folk and bluegrass, spirituals, blues, punk rock, contemporary ghospel, electronic dance and ambient, to name a few... I love working with kids, I love teaching any age any skill level, I promise to listen, and fine tune our lesson to fit your specific personality and needs.

I have played guitar for almost 30 years and I've done concerts, performances and lectures in different states and also internationally. My biggest influences are Paco de Lucia and Tommy Emmanuel and I enjoy teaching guitar to any levels, ages and styles. My goal is to make sure my student will enjoy guitar lessons not matter how long it takes.

I am also the current guitar professor at Union College, Music Art Ambassador for Nebraska Arts Council, Guest teaching artist for John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Teaching Artist in Residence for The Lied Center.
I love sharing my knowledge and experience with my students. I like to see the progress of my students and how they grow into their music skills no matter the age.